Radioactive - Book 1: Birth 🪼

Thirty-Eight

We pull up to a hotel when Nalak suddenly grabs the collar of my shirt and pulls me over the console of the car while he practically melts to the floor. I hear a plink! and tiny shards of glass fall on my back as well as on Nalak's head. He look at him as he breathes heavily in the floor, staring at the glove box.

"Nalak?"

"You almost got shot in the face... Oh my god... you almost go sh-shot in the face!" he says, hyperventilating.

"How did you know to pull me down?"

"It was a reaction..." He looks down at his stomach. "R, I think they've tracked us down already..."

"Can you let go of my shirt? I'm leaning really weird."

"If you sit up you'll get shot at again!" he whisper-yells.

"I'm going to crawl into the back seat so I can face you. Let me go for a minute."

Nalak finally lets go of me and I twist my body around so that it's not cramping up. I get in the back seat in the floor and look around the driver's side seat to look at Nalak. He has turned around and is leaning on the seat.

"So what do we do then? If this really is from the RDC then that means that they know what kind of car we're driving. We won't be able to get in to see Sakina if they know everything we're doing."

"I don't really know-"

"I can see you in there."

The two of us just stop and gulp, looking into each other's eyes to dare either one of us to look up and see who is looking at us. I take the chance and look up a little at the front windshield. I turn my head and sit up, prompting Nalak to practically faint.

"Hey... I know you..." I say.

"It's nice to see you again. Tell your friend we're not a threat." He says, pointing down at Nalak.

I go to tell Nalak that but I find he really did faint and is limp on the seat.

"Um... you scared him so bad he fainted."

"Sorry about that."

I get out of the car and hug the man in the comedy theatre mask as he hugs me back.

"I never knew you were one of them. You look creepy."

He laughs when I feel myself get picked up and spun around.

"Got ya!"

I yelp in surprise but get put down and put my hand on the hood of the car to stable myself. The man in the tragedy mask puts his hands on his hips and I can see the literal shadow of a smile under the downturn of the mouth in the mask.

"You're looking well." He says.

"Considering you scared the shit out of me and Nalak... What are you two doing here? Are you hunting me down? I mean... I never knew the two of you were Zannis."

"Mom never told you?" they say at the same time as they both turn their heads towards each other.

With their comedy and tragedy masks on, the motion is creepier than it probably should have been. I shudder but shake my head at the same time.

"Mom never mentioned it. I guess she didn't want us to ask questions. I mean, I saw your masks before but of course she said that you two were away in theatre school."

"She was always good at covering up this flaw of ours... Anyway, we have a safe place for you to stay."

"Sorry about almost shooting you." The tragedy mask says.